Susan Gately
On the third day of his visit to the island of Ireland, Prince Charles visited Armagh cathedral meeting the Catholic Archbishop of Armagh Eamon Martin and Church of Ireland Archbishop of Armagh Richard Clarke.
First on the prince’s itinerary on May 22 was a visit to St Patrick’s Grammar School, before arriving at Armagh Cathedral in the afternoon where the Catholic and Church of Ireland archbishops greeted him.
Jack O’Hare, senior tour guide at the cathedral, brought the prince around the historic building, where the prince greeted members of the cross-community congregation one by one. “He spent about 20 minutes or so in the cathedral,” a woman who was present in the cathedral told The Irish Catholic.
“There was a good atmosphere. It was a lovely occasion. He was very pleasant,” she added. When the prince left, members of the congregation adjourned upstairs for a cup of tea together. Archbishop Eamon Martin said the Prince of Wales’s visit to Northern Ireland sent a clear message to dissident republicans that “the North wants to move on”.